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First Impressions of a New Barn: A Look at the Arizona Coyotes’ New Home, Mullett Arena

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Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals are playing in a new arena tonight, as they take on the Arizona Coyotes on the road. The Coyotes, who previously played at Gila River Arena (now known as Desert Diamond Arena) in Glendale from 2003-2022, now call Mullett Arena home.

Located on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona and part of the larger Mountain America Community Iceplex, Mullett Arena’s construction was started in 2021 and opened to not only the Coyotes, but various sports teams of the Arizona State Sun Devils in October 2022.

The arena is named after two of the university’s benefactors, Barbara and Donald Mullett, and will house the Coyotes for at least three seasons, after a long period of financial troubles with the city of Glendale saw the lease of Desert Diamond Arena not renewed. The new accommodations are around a third smaller than the smallest NHL venue (belonging to the Winnipeg Jets), and construction on visiting team locker rooms and other facilities were completed earlier this season.

For the first game of the 2022-23 season, the ‘Yotes gifted attending fans their own mullets ahead to break in the new barn.

Looking for stability, the Coyotes proposed a more permanent arrangement and “entertainment district”, which will cost approximately $2.1 billion and will require the approval by-way of three propositions that will appear on special election ballots in May; these will be vote-by-mail only. The plan has received some pushback, however, from some residents and Sky Harbor Airport, which is located a couple of miles from the plot of land on which the project would be constructed.

Arizona Coyotes

In addition to the Coyotes’ home games, Mullett Arena also houses the ASU Sun Devils hockey and wrestling teams, as well as select entertainment events.

During the Capitals’ broadcast, NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken took the opportunity to reflect on some of the iconic “mullets” that have graced the Capitals franchise through the years.

The Coyotes have done well in their new digs so far this season, sporting a record of 8-6-2 in 16 Games Played in Tempe entering tonight’s matchup against the Caps.

Views from the new barn:

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

By Michael Fleetwood

About Michael Fleetwood

Michael Fleetwood was born into a family of diehard Capitals fans and has been watching games as long as he can remember. He was born the year the Capitals went to their first Stanley Cup Final, and is a diehard Caps fan, the owner of the very FIRST Joe Beninati jersey and since then, has met Joe himself.

Michael joined the NoVa Caps team in 2015, and is most proud of the growth of the NoVa Caps community in that time. An avid photographer, Michael resides in VA.





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